I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Flora Robson's portrayal of Elizabeth1 is monumentally great. She dominates her own conflicted emotions as she dominates her subjects and country. "Give me my disguises" she commands her lady in waiting in order to hide her blemishes, loss of hair and age. It is done not merely in the name of vanity but as a requirement of her position. She subverts her emotions in the name of duty and country. If the real Queen Bess was as forceful and charismatic as Robson's portrayal, then it is easy to see why England followed her lead. Olivier is quite good as the young, eager adventurer and emissary to Spain but it is Vivian Leigh that demonstrates the screen craft that was to carry her to fame. The film is not historically accurate but then neither were Shakespeare's history plays. The film reveals much about the human condition and, if you want to know "what really happened", look it up at a history website rather than watch a film.

Watched this movie and I found the subject matter interesting but I thought the production too stagey too much like a play. The acting outside of Vivien Leigh's spirited performance was over the top and very hammy. In many ways the acting took away from which could have been a very interesting action. The lead actress who was so bad in role I will not even try to remember her name was played with a leaden performance that the Kevin Costner character in the Big Chill gave a better performance and he was a corpse. As for Olivier his performance was just terrible he overacts at every moment and his movements on the screen are over the top this shows why he is a wonderful stage actor where on film it looks so silly. Though if you contrast it with his wife Vivien Leigh her talent embraces the camera and she has charisma youth, looks and the acting acumen that the camera loves her and we as the audience are entranced by her. It was said that Sir Laurence compromised his talents with her but I think it is the other way for she had a great range and knew the strength of her talent while in my opinion outside Shakespeare Olivier tended to be stiff and unnatural in most film performances and only in the latter part of career did he even understand to be less stagey and showy. For Vivien her performance was a 8 and the rest a -5.

I admit not knowing much about the part of British history conveyed in "Fire over England." The main interest for me was seeing the two young lovers, Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier, who began their affair during this film. What a beautiful couple, what a great love, and what a sad end to it. You'd never dream looking at these two what life had in store for them on the personal front."Fire over England" is a 1937 Alexander Korda film that takes place in 1558. Relations between Spain and England are terrible, with the British capturing Spanish gold from the New World. When a scheme to get her off the throne is uncovered, the Queen (Flora Robson) sends a young man, Michael Ingolby (Olivier) undercover to the court of Philip of Spain. Pretending to be a traitor, he is able to get the names of the actual Brits in the pay of the Spanish and learns they want to send the Armada against England.He goes to battle, leading an attack by night on the Armada ships. Meanwhile, he is in love with one of the Queen's ladies in waiting, Cynthia (Leigh) and has the affection of the Queen herself."Fire over England" is an early acting film acting assignment from Laurence Olivier. He is super-handsome and an exuberant, energetic Michael Ingolby, perhaps a bit overdone in spots. This, however, can be forgiven because of the nature of the role. Leigh really doesn't have much to do. Though Selznick allegedly was introduced Vivien Leigh by his brother Myron when Atlanta was burning, a historian made something of the fact that he evidently saw this film beforehand. If he did, there's no way he would have a) remembered Leigh and b) thought of her for Scarlett.All in all, a very interesting film.

I wasn't expecting too much from this one- I had read some rather unfavorable reviews that basically said it was dated, melodramatic fuzz. Yes, it is dated and melodramatic, but it is also very good value.The great Flora Robson is first-billed as Queen Elizabeth I of England. Set in the late 1500's, this historical drama revolves around the strained relations between Spain and England. I'm not too good on the history, but like most historical re-tellings it has it's inaccuracies and flaws. Bear with them, as this is an entertaining and worthy film. Flora Robson is magnificent and dominates the whole production.Stage actor Olivier is Michael Ingolby, and a young Vivien Leigh is lady-in-waiting Cynthia. In the handful of scenes that they share together (Olivier actually has more opportunities for romance with Tamara Desni), you can feel that these two are really in love, on and off-screen. Olivier was courting Leigh at the time of the making of 'Fire Over England', so watching them falling in love as Michael and Cynthia is a rather voyeuristic experience. Leigh handles her small role very well, yet it is hard to tell that this young lady would be fiery Scarlett O'Hara in just a few years. Of course, Vivien looks great in the costumes, as always. Olivier is good, if a little stage-bound. Still relatively unexperienced with the film medium, Larry is over-the-top in quite a few scenes. He's very handsome here, and we even get to hear him sing and play the lute! His swashbuckling manner reminds me of Douglas Fairbanks, who Larry was an admirer of. Olivier does all his own stunts here (as he would do in later roles such as Henry V), perhaps inspired by Fairbanks.It's a good attempt at historical drama, and the production values are high-class for an English 1930's film.Worth your time.7/10.